Buckhannon Post 7 shortstop Tyler Davis reaches to his left to stop a bouncing ground ball during Thursday’s game against Braxton Post 33. Braxton won the Area V game, 8-7. Photo by ANDREW REINER/The Record Delta

TENNERTON — Buckhannon Post 7 fell behind from the start and was unable to take control Thursday in an 8-7 loss to Braxton Post 33 in Area V action.

Buckhannon made things interesting in the ninth inning, as Levi Bender’s two-RBI double keyed a three-run rally, but Post 7 committed four costly errors in the game, opening the door for three-run innings from Braxton in the second and ninth. Braxton starting pitcher Garrett Miller and reliever Aaron Conant, who earned the win, struck out 15 Buckhannon batters in the nine-inning area game.

“The strikeouts and errors killed us tonight,” Post 7 manager Rick Holley remarked. “We didn’t get the hits tonight when we needed them, which was disappointing. We gave them the ballgame — we gave them one inning and that changed the game.”

Billy Kelley and Evan Wright drove in a run each and Alex Gaaserud scored two runs for Post 7, who fell to 1-9 on the season and 1-1 in Area V contests. Miller helped his cause at the plate for Post 33, scoring two runs and driving in one while hitting 3-for-5.

Buckhannon continued to utilize a defense they unveiled in the Hillbilly Hardball Classic, playing Levi Bender in left field and putting Tyler Davis at shortstop instead of third base. Gaaserud moved over to third base last night and Wright could also see time at the hot corner.

“Evan [Wright] is an excellent baseball player, and we’ve got to find a place for him,” Holley said. “Levi [Bender] will stay in left, and [Davis] has done an excellent job at shortstop, where he played in high school. Levi has been here the longest and he’s our most seasoned player.”

Braxton led off the game with a run on three hits, as leadoff man Brandon Frame slapped a double down the left field line, held at third on Josh Dalton’s single and scored on Chris Shuman’s single.

Post 33 increased the lead to 4-0 in the second inning, scoring three runs on two hits and as many errors. Miller hit a leadoff single, Frame drew a walk and both runners scored on Conant’s one-out single to left. Conant stole third and scored on a Buckhannon error.

Buckhannon got a pair of runners on base to lead off the bottom of the second, cashing in to score two runs and cut the Braxton lead in half. Devin Cottrill singled to center and Gaaserud drew a full-count walk. Post 7 then took advantage of a ground out, a wild pitch and Kelley’s sacrifice fly to center.

Braxton took a 5-2 lead in the fifth inning on Jacob Dix’s leadoff home run, but Buckhannon got that run back in the seventh inning. Kelley drew a one-out walk, went to third on a pair of passed balls and scored on Wright’s single to left.

Post 7 manufactured another run in the eighth inning to cut the lead to one run, as Gaaserud drew a two-out walk, went to second on Tyler Davis’ ensuing base-on-balls, stole third and scored on a botched pickoff play at first.

A costly two-out error in the top of the ninth helped Braxton score a crucial insurance run though, capping a three-run inning. Shuman, who singled to lead off the inning, scored on Miller’s single to left and a throw home on the play allowed Miller and Justin Frame, who had coaxed a one-out walk, to move up to second and third base, respectively. An errant pickoff play at second base allowed Frame to score and Miller to move up to third, and a wild pitch brought in Miller for the final Braxton run.

Buckhannon made one last-ditch effort in the ninth, as Wright and Brock Hyre drew consecutive one-out walks and scored on Bender’s double to the left-center field wall. After Hyre beat the throw home, Braxton catcher Justin Frame’s throw behind Bender at second base sailed into the outfield, allowing Bender to score.

But Conant shut the door on Buckhannon, stranding a runner on scond and ending the game on his sixth strikeout in 2 2/3 innings.

Patrick LaRosa took the loss on the mound for Buckhannon, allowing five runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings. Wright scattered three hits and struck out six over the final 3 1/3 innings.

Post 7 was scheduled to wrap up the week Saturday at Preston Post 56. They will return home to William E. Phillips Memorial Field Thursday to host Elkins Post 29 in an Area V game.



The boxscore:



Braxton 130 010 003 — 8

Buckhannon 020 000 113 — 7

E – Conant, Harper, Morris; Cottrill, Davis, Hyre, Wright. LoB – Braxton 11, Buckhannon 8. 2B – Frame; Bender. HR – Dix. Sac. – Kelley. SB – Frame 2, Miller 2, Conant; Gaaserud, Hyre. CS – Conant, Frame; Hyre.



Hitting

Braxton — Brandon Frame rf, 2 2 1 0; Josh Dalton lf, 6 0 1 0; Aaron Conant ss-p, 3 1 2 2; Ian Morris 1b, 5 0 0 0; Chris Shuman 2b, 5 1 2 1; Jacob Dix cf, 4 1 1 1; Justin Frame c, 2 1 0 0; Jared Harper 3b, 5 0 0 0; Garrett Miller p, 5 2 3 1. Totals 37 8 10 5.

Buckhannon — Brock Hyre 2b, 4 1 1 0; Levi Bender lf, 5 1 1 2; Nathaniel Carroll cf, 4 0 0 0; Corbin Pugh ph, 1 0 0 0; Devin Cottrill 1b, 4 1 1 0; Kane Bender pr, 0 0 0 0; Alex Gaaerud 3b, 2 2 0 0; Tyler Davis ss, 3 0 0 0; Billy Kelley rf, 2 1 0 1; Taz Chidester c, 2 0 0 0; Patrick LaRosa p, 2 0 0 0; Evan Wright p, 1 1 1 1. Totals 30 7 4 4.



Pitching

Braxton — Miller: 6 1/3 innings, 3 hits, 3 runs, 3 earned runs, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts, 1 wild pitch, 1 hit batsman (Chidester); Conant (W): 2 2/3 innings, 1 hit, 5 runs, 3 earned runs, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts, 1 wild pitch.

Buckhannon — LaRosa (L, 0-2): 5 2/3 innings, 7 hits, 5 runs, 5 earned runs, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts; Wright: 3 1/3 innings, 3 hits, 3 runs, 1 earned run, 4 walks, 6 strikeouts, 1 wild pitch, 1 hit batsman (Justin Frame).

For the complete article see the 06-29-2009 issue.

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